Music lyre and harness therefor



March 25, 1958 1. D. SHUMAKER 2,827,732

MUSIC LYRE AND HARNESS THEREFOR Filed 0015. 19, 1956 Jim/l4.- K

3 [$00 0 0. Shuma/rer INVENTOR.

5mm E BY United States Patent 2,827,732 MUSIC LYRE AND HARNESS THEREFORIsaac D. Shumaker, Fort Wayne, Ind. Application October 19, 1956, SerialNo. 617,031 2 Claims. (11. 45-59) The present invention relates to amusic lyre and novel means for adjustably supporting the same andsuspending it in an effectually usable position on the body of the user,usually a musician while marching and performing on a piccolo, flute,oboe, bassoon or the like.

As the preceding general statement of the subject matter of theinvention implies it is common practice for musicians while on parade torely upon a book rack, commonly called a lyre, and which ischaracterized by a spring pressed clamp, backing member and attachingstem or standard. For the musicians who play a flute,

iccolo or the like it is usually necessary to provide a special supportarm and harnessing means of one type or another to hold the arm in itsmost useful and adaptable position. Briefly, therefore, the presentconcept has to do with a suspended horizontally disposed approximatelyJ-shaped arm which is adjustably and detachably mounted on harnessingmeans and which serves to accommodate a slide carried by the stem of thebook holding lyre whereby the latter may be adjusted toward and from theuser to accommodate his range of vision and so that the music sheets maybe easily seen and read. a

More specifically novelty is predicated on the harness which makes itpossible to satisfactorily employ the lyre supporting and adjusting armor, as it is sometimes called, rack.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying sheet ofillustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a music lyre, support arm and harnessingmeans for the arm constructed in accordance with the principles of theinvention and showing the general construction and arrangement;

Figs. 2, 3, 4, and are sections taken on the lines 22, 3-3, 4-4, and 55,respectively, of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an anchoring clip for one end of theelastic body embracing or encircling strap.

Referring now to the drawings the book clamp, usually called the lyre isdenoted generally by the numeral 6 and comprises a backing plate 8 andspring pressed pivotally mounted clamping jaw 10 and a stem or standard12. The latter is here provided with an open ended socket member 14having a setscrew 16. The socket member is preferably at right angles tothe stem 12 and is noncircular in form and is removably and adjustablymounted on the long limb or arm 18 of the generally J-shaped arm or rack20. The shorter arm 22 at the left thereof is provided with a reducedshank 24 having a screw threaded lower end 26 with a thumb nut 28thereon. The means just described is detachably and adjustably mountedon a harness. The harness is characterized by body encircling meanswhich in turn is made up of an arcuate substantially rigid bar or bowmember 30 and an elastic strap 32 with adjustment means 34 and end clips36 and 38 having attaching hooks 40 and 42. At the center of this barmember there is a socket 44 which opens through the top and bottom edgesand serves to accommodate the reduced shank 34 as brought out in Fig. 3.At the right hand end of the member 30 as seen in Fig. 1 (detailed inFig. 4) the bar member is provided with a screw threaded socket 46 toaccomice modate the screw threaded lower end 48 of a vertical leg 50embodied in the neck yoke or suspension member 52. The latter ispreferably a substantially rigid wire or equivalent rod which is bentupon itself between its ends to form a U-shaped portion 54 which goesaround the neck and over the shoulders and the aforementioned leg 50with a similar opposed companion leg 56 which also has a screw threadedlower end 58 fitting removably in a kerf or groove 60 which is providedtherefor in the left hand end portion of the bar member 30. it is heldin place by a thumb nut 62 and a complemental nut 64 which nuts engagethe upper and lower edge portions or" the bar member in an obviousmanner. With the legs 53 and 56 in the position shown at theirrespective ends of the bar member they provide anchoring posts for thehooks 4i and 42 as is brought out in Fig. 1. Thus, the body encirclingmeans comprising the bar member 30 and strap 32 is satisfactorilymaintained in place with the aid of the detachable suspension yoke 52.Thus constructed and positioned the over-all harness provides an idealdevice to accommodatingly support the J-shaped arm 20 in its usefulposition. This arm, in turn, provides a satisfactory mount for theadapter socket 14 on the lyre 6.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all'suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use by a flute or piccolo player while performing on parade orelsewhere, a harness comprising a U- shaped suspension yoke having aneck embracing portion, a body encircling member having a bar member andan elastic strap, said yoke having arms connected to cooperating endportions of said bar member, said bar member being provided with asocket, an arm having a portion detachably and adjustably mounted insaid socket, said arm projecting at right angles from said bar member,and a lyre having a socket member detachably and adjustably mounted onsaid arm, said socket member being non-circular in cross section andsaid arm having a corresponding cross sectional shape.

2. A harness for supporting a lyre racking arm comprising alongitudinally curved rigid bow member, a flexible adjustable bodyencircling strap having end portions operatively cooperable with the endportions of said bow member, a complemental substantially U-shaped yokehaving a neck embracing portion and depending legs, said neck embracingportion being oblique angled to said legs and said legs being verticaland at right angles to and operatively connected with adjacent endportions of said bow member, said bow member being provided intermediateits ends with a socket, and an arm having an inner end portion providedwith a shank detachably and adjustably mounted in said socket, said armbeing adapted to support a book holding lyre.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS332,123 Walton Dec. 8, 1885 372,496 Small Nov. 1, 1887 439,001 GreenwoodOct. 21, 1890 648,742 Hassellund et al. May 1, 1900 869,918 LipscondNov. 5, 1907 1,179,063 Aldrete Apr. 11, 1916 1,198,202 Drinkard Sept.12, 1916 1,772,478 Carrie Aug. 12, 1930

